Bulgarian who stabbed ex-partner to death in Sheffield set to be deported

Robert Cumber

A Bulgarian national who knifed his ex-partner to death on a Sheffield street is set to be deported so British taxpayers no longer 'foot the bill for his heinous crime'.

Erhan Mehmedov stabbed Dimitrina Borisova, the mother of his son, more than 10 times in broad daylight close to their former home in Gleadless Valley four years ago.

Dimitrina Borisova

Mehmedov, then 45, was jailed for life in June that year after being found guilty of murder, and he was ordered to serve at least 28 years of his sentence behind bars.

The killer has been held at a British prison until now but is due to be transferred to a cell in his native Bulgaria, it is understood.

Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh, who has long campaigned for him to be sent back, said she had been assured arrangements were being made for his removal.

"I was very keen for him to be removed and serve his time in Bulgaria so the British taxpayer doesn't foot the bill for his heinous crime," she told The Star.

Police at the scene of the fatal stabbing

"I have had confirmation he is being deported, and it is quite unusual for that to happen so early in his sentence. I Will now be pushing to ensure he serves his full sentence in Bulgaria."

The Ministry of Justice said it was unable to comment on individual cases and would not confirm whether Mehmedov is being deported or when it is due to happen.

But Ms Haigh said she had received an email from the cross border transfer section of the National Offender Management Service on March 31 stating that 'arrangements were being made for his removal'.

Mehmedov, who was born in Bulgaria but spent most of his life in Turkey, met fellow Bulgarian Dimitrina in South Wales in 2010 and they moved to Sheffield and had a son together.

But a court heard their relationship broke down over his violent behaviour and, fearing he would lose a custody battle over their son, he plotted to kill the 46-year-old.

The former shop owner and chef stabbed her to death in front of horrified shoppers in Blackstock Road, Gleadless Valley, where he lived, in February 2013.

During his trial it emerged Mehmedov had previously served 10 years in prison in Bulgaria after knifing a man in a bar brawl and raping a 14-year-old girl.

He challenged his murder conviction, claiming evidence about his previous crimes had prejudiced the hearing, but his appeal was dismissed by a judge in 2014.

News of Mehmedov's impending deportation emerged after Ms Haigh asked justice secretary Liz Truss during a parliamentary debate last week for an assurance he would serve his full sentence in Bulgaria, both pre and post-Brexit.

Ms Truss responded: "It is important that that individual is brought to justice. That is part of how we organise our prisoner transfer agreements and it will be part of our Brexit discussions."